Phoenix Mercury

Cherelle Griner, wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, has spoken to President Joe Biden about her wife's ongoing detention in Russia.

Per a White House press release, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner in a phone call on Wednesday to "reassure her" that the President is "working to secure Brittney's release as soon as possible" along with the release of additional U.S. nationals being "wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world."

JUST IN: Pres. Biden, Vice Pres. Harris spoke to Cherelle Griner, Brittney Griner's wife, White House says.

"The President called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible." https://t.co/aEfCwQMp9K pic.twitter.com/MitRRJLU4w

— ABC News (@ABC) July 6, 2022

Cherelle said Wednesday that she's "grateful" for President Biden's commitment to bringing the WNBA star home:

"While I will remain concerned and outspoken until she is back home, I am hopeful in knowing that the President read my wife’s letter and took the time to respond. I know BG will be able to find comfort in knowing she has not been forgotten." /2

— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) July 6, 2022

"Let’s continue to use our voices to speak the names of all the wrongfully detained Americans and support the Administration as they do what it takes to bring them home today." /x

— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) July 6, 2022

Griner has played for UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian Premier League during the WNBA offseason since 2014.

Per Michael Crowley and Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times, Russian Federal Customs Service detained Griner on Feb. 17 after claiming it found cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. She has been detained for 139 days as of Wednesday.

According to Crowley and Abrams, Griner is under criminal investigation for "large-scale transportation of drugs, an offense that can carry a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars in Russia."

The WNBA, as well as many of Griner's fellow WNBA and NBA players, have been vocal in their support for her and urging the American government to take action to bring her home.

Statement from the WNBPA regarding Brittney Griner. pic.twitter.com/Bw9sVCJAlX

— WNBPA (@TheWNBPA) March 5, 2022

Brittney Griner needs to be home!!

— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) July 5, 2022

@paigebueckers1 closes out her interview with @malika_andrews with a powerful message on Brittney Griner:

"Whatever it takes to get her home ... I think it's definitely time." pic.twitter.com/jf89kBOFi9

— ESPN (@espn) July 5, 2022

Per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press, Griner sent a handwritten letter to Biden that he received on Monday asking him to not "forget about me and the other American Detainees” in Russia.

Griner's trial in Russian court began on July 1, with a second session scheduled to take place on Thursday. A judge ordered her to remain in custody for an additional six months during a preliminary hearing last month.

Brittney and Cherrelle Griner were scheduled to have a phone call on June 18, but it never took place because the United States Embassy was unstaffed on that date. The White House did reschedule the call after what it called an "unfortunate mistake" prevented it from taking place as planned.

The couple have been married since June 2019.

WNBA star Brittney Griner wrote a letter directly to the White House and President Joe Biden appealing for help in obtaining her freedom from Russia.

Excerpts from the letter were released by representatives of Griner, per ESPN's T.J. Quinn.

"I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American Detainees," one excerpt stated. "Please do all that you can to bring us home.

Griner stated in her letter that she felt "terrified I might be here forever." The Phoenix Mercury center explained the personal importance of the Fourth of July to her and her family because her father is a Vietnam War veteran. In her direct plea to President Biden, she said: "I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with the freedom that you can help restore."

The 31-year-old has been detained in Russia for since February 17 after she was arrested at an airport after authorities allegedly found hashish oil in her luggage. The U.S. Department of State categorized her as "wrongfully detained" in May. As of Monday, she has been detained for 137 days.

The two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist had her detention extended last Monday by another six months to Dec. 20. Her case went to trial Friday for an initial session and was adjourned until July 7. If convicted on the charges of large-scale transportation of drugs, Griner faces up to 10 years in prison.

Alexander Boykov, an attorney for Griner, told reporters: "I wouldn't want to talk on the specifics of the case and on the charges and to comment on our position on it because it's too early for it."

It has been widely speculated that a prisoner exchange would be required for Griner's release. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to discuss a potential exchange during a June 26 appearance on CNN.

"As a general proposition ... I have got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home," Blinken said. "I can’t comment in any detail on what we’re doing, except to say this is an absolute priority."

In June, the WNBA named Griner as an honorary All-Star for the 2022 season. She has received an outpouring of support from her fellow players as well as NBA stars, who are all advocating for her release.

The excerpts from Griner's letter ended by stating: "I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home."

The Russian government reportedly may use the trial of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner as a way to extract political concessions from the United States, according to experts who spoke with ESPN's T.J. Quinn.

Griner, who has been determined wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department, will stand trial Friday. She has been in custody for 133 days.

Quinn spoke to William Pomeranz, a Russian law expert, who said the trial's outcome is a "foregone conclusion."

Danielle Gilbert, an assistant professor of military and strategic studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy, described the trial to Quinn as a "negotiation strategy" by Russia.

"The trial—and the threat of a long sentence—gives the Russians more negotiating leverage," Gilbert said.

Because of the slim likelihood of getting a fair trial, Pomeranz told Quinn pleading guilty might be Griner's best strategy, and experts said a guilty plea could be a condition of any release agreement:

Sources close to Griner declined to say how she intends to plead, but experts say that with no chance of acquittal it would make strategic sense to just plead guilty now. That might cause headaches for the U.S. State Department and the White House, but it could make Griner's life more bearable, and a deal to go home more likely.

This was one of the fears when news became public that Griner had been arrested at a Moscow airport in February for allegedly possessing vape cartridges of hashish oil in her luggage.

Quinn and Mechelle Voepel interviewed Tom Firestone, a former legal adviser at the United States embassy in Moscow, who said Griner's arrest could become a geopolitical issue if it garnered significant mainstream attention.

As a result, those close to the 31-year-old remained relatively quiet in the immediate aftermath of her arrest in the hope the matter could be resolved behind the scenes.

By May, the U.S. government signaled a shift in its approach when the State Department officially classified Griner as wrongfully detained. That allowed government officials to more aggressively negotiate for her release.

CNN's Jake Tapper asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken about exchanging convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in 2020.

"As a general proposition, Jake, I’ve got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home, and that includes Paul Whelan and that includes Brittney Griner," Blinken said. "That includes people in a number of other countries. In fact, I spoke to Brittney Griner’s wife just a few days ago."

Cherelle Griner told Al Sharpton on Wednesday that her wife, WNBA star Brittney Griner, is "terrified" amid her 132-day detainment in Russia.

"She's a human. She's struggling. She's there, terrified. She's there alone," she said on Sharpton's Keepin' It Real radio show on SiriusXM (6:15 mark). "I mean, even in America, if she was going through a legal proceeding, she wouldn't be doing it alone. ... Everything about this is just your biggest nightmare. On top of the fact that BG is in a situation where this isn't even a trial. ... Considering an execution, Russia has a 99 percent conviction rate. Nothing about this is justice."

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and accused of having cannabis oil vape cartridges in her luggage. If convicted, she is facing up to 10 years in prison in the country.

Her trial is set to begin Friday.

And 40 min later the preliminary hearing is over. No comment from Griner. Her Russian lawyer says the judge extended her detention for the length of her trial. No date set. Curiously, no US embassy officials present for the hearing. #BrittneyGriner pic.twitter.com/FSYprXjSgs

— Charles Maynes (@cwmiii3) June 27, 2022

"The United States government is actively engaged in trying to resolve this case and get Brittney home," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday.

"The Russian government should release her and allow her to be returned and reunited with her family and come home safe and sound," he added, saying she was "wrongly" and "unjustly" detained.

The State Department has also classified Griner as wrongfully detained.

One of the beliefs regarding Griner's arrest and detainment is that the Russian government is using her as a political pawn, with some Russian media outlets reporting that the government is trying to get the United States to release convicted weapons dealer Viktor "The Merchant of Death" Bout in a prisoner exchange.

"He was arguably the largest and most sophisticated arms trafficker on the globe when he was arrested," former DEA chief of operations Michael Braun told Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports in late May. "He was the guy who could deliver virtually anything with certainty to any bad actor all over the world."

Griner, 31, is one of many WNBA stars who play in Europe during the WNBA offseason. She most recently has played for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg.

A phone call between Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle Griner, has been rescheduled after an attempt for the two to connect Saturday failed following a "logistical error," per Eric Tucker of the Associated Press.

The Griners have not spoken since Russian officials detained the WNBA star on Feb. 17 after claiming they discovered vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her baggage during a check at a Moscow airport. She has been detained for 124 days as of Tuesday.

State Department spokesman Ned Price admitted that a logistical error prevented the call from going through Saturday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday that the State Department is arranging a rescheduled call but did not reveal when that would take place.

Cherelle Griner told Tucker and colleague Doug Feinberg that Brittney Griner tried to call her 11 times through the United States embassy in Russia, but the desk where the phone was located did not have staffing.

"I find it unacceptable and I have zero trust in our government right now," Cherelle Griner said. "If I can’t trust you to catch a Saturday call outside of business hours, how can I trust you to actually be negotiating on my wife's behalf to come home? Because that's a much bigger ask than to catch a Saturday call."

Griner also said that the phone call "had been scheduled for almost two weeks—with a weekend date" that coincided with their wedding anniversary.

According to Price, there are staffing limitations because of Russian government restrictions on the embassy and its operations.

A senior State Department official said that the call was originally slated to funnel through the embassy's Marine Guard station but that it somehow got routed through an unstaffed, remote location.

The State Department said in May that Griner is being wrongfully detained. Per Russian state-run news agency Tass, officials extended Griner's detention until Saturday, July 2.

WNBA star Brittney Griner's pre-trial detention in Russia has been extended once again through July 2.

According to Russian media outlet TASS (h/t Mark Osborne and Deena Zaru of ABC News), a Russian court extended the detention at "the request of the investigation."

Griner was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow in February for allegedly possessing vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.

She has been detained for 117 days as of Tuesday, and last month the United States government classified Griner as being "wrongfully detained," per ESPN's T.J. Quinn.

Labeling Griner as wrongfully detained allowed the U.S. government to shift its focus in terms of attempting to take steps to bring Griner home as soon as possible rather than allowing the legal process to play out.

Quinn reported that former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, who has years of international hostage negotiating experience, agreed to work on Griner's case.

Despite the U.S. government's shift in philosophy and reports of a potential prisoner swap with Russia, Griner remains in custody.

The 31-year-old was a collegiate star at Baylor who has played in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury since 2013. She also plays professionally in Russia, which is why she was in the country in February.

As a member of the Mercury, Griner is a seven-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and one-time WNBA champion.

Griner has also starred for the United States national team, winning gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics.

Since the start of the 2022 WNBA season in May, every team in the league has placed a decal of Griner's initials and jersey number on their courts in a show of support.

Representatives from the Phoenix Mercury met with U.S. State Department officials Monday to discuss Brittney Griner's ongoing wrongful detention in Russia.

Griner has been in custody for 116 days after being arrested at a Russian airport in February.

116 days.

Bring Brittney home. pic.twitter.com/9wX62RmU0M

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 13, 2022

The Mercury said they also spoke with Rep. Greg Stanton and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee following their meeting with the state department.

"Number one priority." Diana Taurasi.

Phoenix Mercury met this morning with U.S. Department of State to discuss Brittney Griner's "wrongful detention in Russia" and later talked with Greg Stanton (Arizona) and Shelia Jackson Lee (Texas) of the U.S. Congress. #4TheValley pic.twitter.com/2qcjW1pds0

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) June 13, 2022

"There is a lot involved in getting her back home and safe, they're working relentlessly," Mercury star Diana Taurasi said. "We're here to do whatever we can to amplify and keep BG at the forefront, which is more important than any basketball game and anything else that's going on in our lives. We want BG to come home as soon as possible, it's No. 1 on our list."

The Phoenix Mercury players, coaches, staff and WNBPA staff met this morning with members of the United States Department of State to discuss the status of Brittney Griner’s wrongful detention in Russia. pic.twitter.com/A4wzxT4BuZ

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 13, 2022

pic.twitter.com/83gtP0Cs3l

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 13, 2022

News of Griner's arrest first surfaced in March, several weeks after she was initially detained.

As the story was evolving, there were concerns about whether publicizing her arrest and advocating for her release would exacerbate her situation. ESPN's T.J. Quinn and Mechelle Voepel interviewed Tom Firestone, a lawyer and former legal adviser for the U.S. embassy in Moscow who explained the delicate balance at play:

Sometimes cases like this are better off handled in a low-key approach through the criminal justice system. I think the concern is, if it becomes too high-profile, if it becomes political, then the Russian government may dig into their position. It may make it difficult for her to get a good resolution of the case, and she could become a pawn in a bigger political battle.

With little in the way of progress, the public tenor is beginning to change.

In mid-March, a Moscow court ruled Griner would remain in custody until at least May 19. Then her detention was extended again until June 18. In between those developments, the State Department officially classified her as "wrongfully detained," meaning the U.S. would "no longer wait for Griner's case to play out through the Russian legal system and [would] seek to negotiate her return," per Quinn.

Shekera Griner, the sister of WNBA star Brittney Griner, commented Friday on the detention of her sister in Russia.

Shekera called Brittney's detention "gut-wrenching," and called on United States President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the entire administration to "do whatever necessary" in order to bring Brittney home "safely and quickly."

Brittney Griner's sister, Shekera, is breaking her silence to call on @POTUS and the US government to bring the #WNBA superstar home #WeAreBG

"It's been totally gut-wrenching for myself and my family," she says. pic.twitter.com/Nqpwifb2T0

— Meredith Cash (@mercash22) June 10, 2022

Friday marks 113 days since Griner was first wrongfully detained by Russian authorities at an airport in Moscow for allegedly possessing vape cartridges containing hashish oil.

Last month, the United States government changed its classification of Griner to "wrongfully detained," opening the door for the U.S. to negotiate Griner's return to the country rather than allowing the Russian legal system to play out.

It was also reported by ESPN's T.J. Quinn that U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson agreed to work on Griner's case after previously working for many years as an international hostage negotiator.

There have been reports regarding the United States considering a prisoner swap with Russia, but nothing has come to pass yet.

Former WNBA star and current University of South Carolina head women's basketball coach Dawn Staley tweeted Friday about bringing Griner home:

#FreeBrittneyGriner 113 days being wrongfully detained in a Russian prison….now is the time to bring @brittneygriner home to us! Now! With each passing day our sister and friend is being missed by loved one. Please God hear our cry to bring her home. #WeAreBG pic.twitter.com/o50ZpLzOYB

— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) June 10, 2022

Griner, 31, is widely regarded as one of the greatest women's basketball players of all time due to her success collegiately, professionally and internationally.

The 6'9" center won a national championship and Player of the Year award at Baylor before playing for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA with whom she has been named an All-Star seven times to go along with two scoring titles, two WNBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and one championship.

Griner also won gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics as part of Team USA.

Since the start of the 2022 WNBA season, teams have placed decals on their courts featuring Griner's initials and jersey numbers.

The Boston Celtics are playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, and they're using the opportunity to show their support for WNBA veteran Brittney Griner, who has been wrongfully detained by the Russian government for 107 days.

Ahead of Game 2 against the Golden State Warriors, the Celtics wore T-shirts that read, "WE ARE BG," during Saturday's practice and media availability. National Basketball Players Association Vice President Grant Williams told reporters the shirts were a collaboration between the NBPA and WNBPA:

The shirts were super important not only showing our support for our sister that is detained over in Russia, Brittney Griner, we just wanted to show that togetherness and love that we have throughout not only the NBA but the WNBA. She's been a vital part of the WNBA over years past, college, and in the amount of impact she's had on young female athletes, USA and overseas.

We hope to have her back in the U.S. and reunited with her family and do what she loves and bring that love and tenacity she always plays with on the court.

Williams added that the WNBPA sent the T-shirts overnight and that every Celtics player put one on without hesitation as soon as they received them.

#FreeBrittneyGriner 👉 https://t.co/NilQSP8giS pic.twitter.com/6tw5S3dwAL

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 4, 2022

Marcus Smart with a t-shirt supporting imprisoned #WNBA star Brittney Griner pic.twitter.com/6dLsD1Sasm

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 4, 2022

"As a collective, we wanted to come out and show our support for Brittney Griner," Jaylen Brown added. "She's been over there for an extended amount of time, and we feel like enough is enough."

“She’s been over there for an extended amount of time, and we feel enough is enough.”

Jaylen Brown on Russia holding Brittney Griner for months. pic.twitter.com/8Va9zPFwf4

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 4, 2022

Jayson Tatum also spoke about his relationship with Griner. He said the two got to know each other while playing for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo and they became good friends.

"So it's extremely tough seeing what she's going through," Tatum said. "I know everybody sees and feels that, and obviously we're all together in support trying to bring her back to her family and things like that. Yeah, wearing those shirts today in support of her."

.@FCHWPO @jaytatum0 @smart_MS3 and the rest of the Boston Celtics showed support for Brittany Griner during their media availability 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Eq12Ch8rzW

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 4, 2022

Griner has been detained since February after Russian officials said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

State Department representative Ned Price said in a briefing last month that Griner is "continuing to do as well as could be expected under these exceedingly challenging circumstances":

But again, our message is a clear and simple one—we continue to insist that Russia allow consistent and timely consular access to all U.S. citizen detainees. One-off visits are not sufficient, and we will continue to call on Moscow to uphold its commitments under the Vienna Convention for consistent and timely access as well.

According to ESPN, Griner's lawyers have visited her at least once a week while she has been detained. She is also receiving letters from friends and family in the United States, her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, told CNN.

"While sporadic, written communication from her wife, family, friends and global sport community has been a source of comfort for BG during her wrongful detainment, going without real-time, regular contact with loved ones is inhumane," Colas said.

The Phoenix Mercury selected Griner with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. She has gone on to have a successful career with the franchise, averaging 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 254 games across nine seasons.

The 31-year-old is one of a number of players who compete overseas during the WNBA offseason, and she last took the court for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg in January.

WNBA star Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia, but she is allowed to receive emails and letters and can respond to some through her lawyers, according to Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press.

Fellow WNBA players have sent hundreds of emails to Griner to an account set up by her agent. Once they are vetted by Russian officials, they are printed out and delivered to her in bunches.

The 31-year-old can then write or dictate a response on paper, which her lawyers transfer back to the email.

Griner was detained at the Moscow airport in February after officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. In May, the United States government ruled that she has been "wrongfully detained."

Griner is facing charges of drug smuggling that carry a 10-year maximum sentence. In mid-May, her pre-trial detention was extended by 30 days, having been previously set to end on May 19.

Last week, the WNPBA urged fans to sign a petition to help free Griner:

The @TheWNBPA is urging all to sign the https://t.co/vPbO5fjz7D petition to help free WNBA star Brittney Griner, and is asking all athletes in professional sports to hold their own media blackouts to bring attention to the matter. pic.twitter.com/rKg4CUoVLF

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 28, 2022

"We just don’t want her to think she’s forgotten," Liberty center Stefanie Dolson said.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Amanda Zahui B. said she sends emails every few weeks to Griner and has gotten responses, while Diana Taurasi said she wrote a handwritten letter to her Phoenix Mercury teammate.

"She jokes in her letters. I don’t know how she does it with what she’s going through. She’s an amazing soul," Zahui B. said. "She brings light in a situation like this. I don’t think a lot of people could manage to do that."

Griner has been one of the league's biggest stars on the court, earning seven All-Star selections in her career. She was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft out of Baylor and won the WNBA title in 2014 with the Mercury.